Rocket projector with magazine



June 1, 1965 .1. LINKE ETAL ROCKET PROJECTOR WITH MAGAZINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1963 im \S \m FMX@ June 1, 1965 J. LINKE ETAL ROCKET PROJECTOR WITH MAGAZINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1963 June 1, 1965 J. LINKE ETAL 3,186,303

ROCKET PROJECTOR WITH MAGAZINE Filed June 4, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet .'5

fw M/Maya June l, 1965 J. LINKE ETAL 3,186,303

ROCKET PROJECTOR WITH MAGAZINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 4, 1963 ri`he invention relates to a rocket projector with a magazine wherein by the side ot the loading chamber a conveyor drum and a supply device are arranged, the said supply device feeding the rockets lying parallel to one another in curved guides to said conveyor drum which is in driving connection therewith.

in a known rocket projector of this kind the rockets are stored in the magazine in lil-shaped curved guides and are ted to a conveyer drum by a tubular carrier arranged behind the rockets, said tubular carrier being xed to a strip which is coiled on a drum capable o' being coupled with the conveyer drum. Such rocket conveyors have the disadvantage that they assume an unfavourable elongated shape in case a greater number of rockets is to be stored. Such embodiments are, for example, unsuitable for a twin-arrangement of the projectors on an armoured ghting vehicle. Moreover the loading ot such rocket projectors is complicated since the rockets can be brought only singly through the loading chamber to the magazine.

The present invention has the principal object of providing a rocket projector w. ich allows to accommodate a larger store of rockets and yet has a more favourable shape so that it can be used in twin-arrangement on armoured fighting vehicles. t is another object of the present invention to provide improved loading facilities, allowing the rocket projector to be loaded from transport containers containing several rockets.

With these and other objects in view we provide a rocket projector comprising in combination: rockets, a magazine having a loading chamber, a conveyor drum lying by the side of said loading chamber' and a supply device arranged in said magazine, said supplying device having zig-zag shaped curved guides which in operation guide said rockets, lying parallel to one another, to said conveyor drum, said conveyer drum feeding in operation said rockets for being tired to said loading chai lber, said magazine having a loading aperture and two endless conveyor chains lying on top ot another between said apertture and said conveyor drum, dogs mounted on and projecting from said chains in operation engaging said rockets, deilector points detlecting each of said conveyer chains, pairs of star wheels arranged between the adjacent deiiector points of two co veyer chains and transferring in operation the rockets from one conveyer chain to the other, and reversible driving means connecting said pair or" star wheels with said conveyer chains and with said conveyor drum.

These and other features of our said invention will be clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof illustrated by way ot example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a cross section of the rocket projector on the line l-l in FGURE 2;

HG? RE 2 is a longitudinal section on the line li-l oi FEGURE l;

FiGURE 3 is a cross section on the line ill-lli of FEGURE 2 on a reduced scale and with a diagrammatic n of the driving means;

FGURE 4 is a plan view of parts of a conveyer chain;

FGURES 5-10 are diagrammatic illustrations of different phases of the conveying of the rockets.

Patented .lune l, lig

The rocket projector according to FGURES 1 and 2 consists substantially of the magazine 2, the tiring device and the casing l enclosing these components and from which the starter tube 3 projects. The components forming the tiring device namely the feeder drum d which together with the closure flap not shown in the drawing lie by the side of the loading chamber 5, and are described and illustrated in detail in the United States of America patent specification No. 2,915,945. Two transverse walls 6 and da with cut-outs are inserted in the casing and connected therewith. rihese cut-outs 8 form with their boundary faces zig-zag shape bent guides l@ for the rocket 7 and also for 'the rockets 5l, 52, 5'3, Sd and 59. The width of the cuts-outs ii corresponds to the diameter of the rockets 7 etc. which are pushed from the loading aperture 9 along the guides it? up to the conveyer drum 2 by means ot the supply devices to be described later.

lAccording to the FGURES 1-3, in the upper part of the transverse walls o, 6a, two shafts lll, lla are journalled at the same level, on each of which shafts a pair of sprocket wheels i?, and ma is mounted. The transverse walls 6, da, form moreover the bearings for a shaft 29 serving as the carrier tor a pair of star wheels ld, and which is mounted outside the shafts l1, lla, but at the same level as the latter. ln the same manner the two shafts d'7, l'izz, with pairs ol sprocket wheels i8, 18a, mounted thereon are journalled on the lower part of the transverse walls 6, do, at the level of the conveyer drum According to FGURE 1, the endless conveyer chains l?, lt, and Ztl, 2da, in the form of roller chains are placed over the pairs of sprocket wheels lit, 12a, as well as i8, 13a, which are arranged behind one another in planes perpendicular to the direction of tiring. A further pair of star wheels i6 is mounted on a shaft l5 journailed in the transverse walls between adjacent reversal points of the superimposed conveyor chains 19, Ztl and 13a, 26a, respectively.

The reversible motor 2li illustrated in FIG-URE 2 drives through a reduction gearing 22 of the shafts 17 and thereby according to FEGURE 3, also the conveyer chains 2%, 2da. The spur gear Z3 mounted on the shafts i7 is in mesh with a spur gear 24 journalled on the wall of the casing l. rhis intermediate gear 2d is in mesh with a gear 25, which is in active driving connection with the shaft 26 connected with the conveyor drum d, on which shaft the sprocket wheel Z7 is mounted. A chain 23 placed over this sprocket wheel 2,7 drives the sprocket wheel 3o mounted on the shaft 29. Gn this same shaft 2.9 is mounted, in addition to the star wheels ld, also the wheel 3?-, which through a chain 32 drives the sprocket wheel 33 and accordingly the shaft il. The wheel 3d connected with this shat't il drives, through the chain 35, the wheel 3d and accordingly the shaft 37. On the latter the gear wheel 38 is mounted in mesh with the gear wheel 39, which drives the shaft l5 and accordingly the star wheels lo mounted on the latter. On the shaft lll moreover the sprocket wheels l?. are mounted which, through the conveyor chains l?, 19a, are in driving connection with the sprocket wheels 12a, accordingly also with the shaft lia. A chain fil driv-en by a sprocket wheel i0 mounted on the shaft illu drives through the sprocket wheel the shaft 43, and accordingly two star wheels 4d mounted thereon (FGURE l).

Several chains links i5-4.58 of the chains i9, 19a, and 2i?, Zim, serving for the conveying of the rockets are provided with dogs 45o-fida, as shown in FIGURES l and 4, those dogs fida-47a, which engage a rocket from one side and those dogs ida-48a engaging the same rocket from the other side airlxing the same and being arranged on different chain links 45, 47 and 48, respectively. Any two ot the pairs of links eg. d5, do, or d?, i3 form pairs of dogs which hold the rocket between the outer narrowends of their pawls practically without play and guide the same along the guides lil. These pairs of dogs are so arranged on the chains that the rockets arranged in se# ries are separated from one another only by small intervals. The chains are moreover so arranged that they will not carry the Weight of the rockets conveyed by them.

The two pairs of star wheels la and lo have three recesses lab, leb arranged at equal angular distances from one another the radii of which correspond to those of the cylindrical parts of the rockets, the innermost points of the recesses lying on a pitch circle around the axis ofV rotation or" the star wheel the diameter of which is equal to the height of the tongue-shaped part el: or 6c, respectively, of the transveres walls o, A

Moreover the tongue-shaped parts ob, oc, the sprocket Wheels 12, lcr, lil, lta, and the connecting elements .Z3-33 between the sprocket wheels l2, lilo and the wheels i8, Lisa, are so dimensioned, that the conveyor chains It?, fihi, and 20, Zito, have the same velocities ot` circulation, and the transmission members lid-S9, which form the driving connection between the shaft lil of the conveyor chains and the shaftV l5 of the star wheels, impart such a rotational velocity to the pair of star wheels 1d, that the lateral velocity of the axes of the rockets transported by the pair of star wheels le is slightly larger than the circumierential velocity of the conveyor chains and accordingly slightly exceeds the lateral velocity of the rockets located onrthe straight portions of the conveyor chains.

ln order that the dogs do not hamper the transition of a rocket from the chains i9, 19a, to the pair of star Wheels i6 or from the pair of star Wheels lo the chains 2t?, 2Go, the axis of rotation of the pair Yof star Wheels lo is arranged substantially in a plane defined by the axes of rotation of the adjacent sprocket wheels 12er, and ld.

Moreover the conveyor drum fr is so dimensioned and forms with the gearing Z3, Z4, such a ratio that also the` conveyor drum l imparts a lateral velocity to the axes of the rockets transported by it, which is slightly larger than the circumferential velocity ot the conveyor chains. The rotational speed of the conveyor drum 4 is 11/2 times as high as that of the pair of star wheels 314i, lo, whichY in turn rotate three timesV slower than the shafts ll, lla, of the sprocket wheels.

From the construction described results the following manner of operation:

During the ring i.e. during the period, in which the rockets are conveyed from the magazine to the loading chamber, the conveyor drum fl, and the conveyor chains l?, llmrand Ztl, 29a and the pairs ot stars Wheels lli and le move with uniform velocity. The rockets of the uppermost layer moved by the conveyor chains i9, lilaY are, as shown in FIGURE l as well asin FIGURES 5 and 7, taken over by the star wheels l, deflected 130? and subsequently transferred again to the dogs `of the same chains 19, lilla and carried along-by the same. The pair of dogs, denoted in these FGURES 5-7 by the numerals a9, 5d, which have brought the rocket 5l to the star wheels 14, by having jumped over the rocket 52 lying in the latter, Vtake over the rocket denoted by the numeral 53.

By the provision ot star wheels El@ guiding the rockets during their deflection a disadvantage is prevented which would occur when the rockets during this phase otmovement were moved by the dogs of the chains. In this case the rockets could not be held any more without play byV the dogs moving away from another during theV detlection of the chain so that they were exposed to undesirable jerks and joltsV during the run of a vehicle carrying a rocket projector. i

Y The transfer of the rockets from the chains and 39a to the pair of star wheels lo and from the latter tothe conveyor chains 20, is illustrated in the FEGURES 8-10. The-star Wheels l take over a1 rocket from a pair of dogs and accelerate the same'to the velocity prevailing on the Vdellector path. Owing to this acceleration, which the rocket'undergoes, it is necessary to accelerate also the dog and to remove the same from the path of the rocket 55 (FlGURES 8-10) which is attained by dimensioning the sprocket wheels i2 smaller and giving the chains a narrow pitch. The small distanceY ot the two parts of the chain l?, resulting Vfrom these small diameters of the sprocket wheels, and the conseqtent small distance of the guide surfaces le lying parallel has a favourable effect on the height or" the projector. The transfer of the rockets from the star wheels lo to the conveyor' chains 26, Zita, takes place as would be like e seen from the FGURES 8-10, in sucha manner that tne rockets are held practically without play during the whole transfer operation. The movement ot the rockets through the conveyer drum into the tiring position is etected in the manner described in the aforesaid US. patent specirication No. 2,915,945.

On a longitudinal edge of the casing l adjacent to the ceiling and to the side wallr 58, a flap l'is pivotaliy mounted on the axle 55 fixed to the casing, which r'lap serves for the closing of the loading aperture E?. When loading the magazine or supplementing its store or rockets the sense of rotation of the motor and accordingly of the chains le?, Etf/a and 2i), 2tlg, and of the pairs of star wheels ltd and lo is changed, namely until the rocket remotest from the conveyor drum t lies before the loading aperture 9, i.e. assumes the position of the rocket denoted So in FIGURE l. Then the motor is again set in motion, in the original normal sense of rotation, and through the loading aperture 9 a rocket is inserted into the magazine where the same lies between one of the recessesdfaa of the star wheels t4 and the dogs of the chains i9, 19a, and is movedY away. Likewise any of the nei-:t rockets inserted into the magazine is caughtby the rotating star wheels 44 and is conveyed by the saine along until it is completely transferred to a pair oi dogs of the chains 19, i911. This process is repeated until the maximum loading condition is attained as illustrated in FIGURE l.

In the embodiment of a rocket projector described hereinabove by way of example the rockets are stored in a single S-shaped loop. It is, however, within the scope of Vthis invention to` accommodate the rockets in the magazine chamber in multiple loops arranged zig-zagshaped one on top of the other. In this case more than two pairs of conveyor chains with the associated pairs of star wheels have to be arranged in the magazine in order to convey the rockets from'one pair of conveyer chains to the next one.

While we have herein described and illustrated in .the accompanying drawings what may be considered a typical and particularly advantageous embodiment of o-ur said invention, We wish it to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the particular details and dimensions described and illustrated; for obvious modifications will occur to persons skilled in the art.

Y yWhat We claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

ll. A rocket projector comprising in combination: rockets, a magazine having in one part aV loading aperture and in another part a loading chamber, said parts lying one above the other, a conveyor drum lying by the side of said loading chamber, asupply device arranged in said maga- Zine'and forming for the rockets lying parallel to one another a transport connection between said loading aperture and said conveyor drum, said supply device'having zigzag-shaped curved guides, said conveyor drum feeding in operation said rockets for being tired to said loading chamber, said supply device having further a iirst and a second endless rocket conveyor chain arranged in the same direction and lying each partly alonga loop of said guides,

-said first chain having an Vupper and a lower layer and lying on top of said Vsecond chain, dogsrnounted on and projecting from said chains in operation engaging said rockets, sprocket Wheels turning round each of said Vcon'- veyer chains, a first pair of star Wheels arranged in said magazine by the side of said loading aperture parallel to and between the adjacent sprocket wheels of said iirst and second conveyer chains and transferring in operation the rockets from said first conveyor chain to said second conveyer chain, a second pair of star wheels arranged in said magazine opposite said loading aperture parallel and adjacent in said direction to one of said sprocket wheels of said irst conveyor chain and transferring in operation the rockets from said upper layer to said lower layer of said iirst conveyer chain, a third pair of star wheels arranged in said magazine between said loading aperture and said irst chain adjacent and parallel to one of said sprocket wheels by the side of said loading aperture and transmitting the rockets from said loading aperture to said first conveyer cha-in, and reversible driving means connecting the said pairs of star wheels with said conveyer chains and with said conveyer drum.

2. A rocket projector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said conveyer chains have a small pitch and according to said small pitch a small one of said sprocket wheels and chain links, several of said links having one of said dogs each for the conveying of the rockets, any two of said several links forming pairs of links with iirst and second ones of said dogs having outer ends for engaging said rockets from opposite sides practically without play and to guide the same along said guides, which have a small distance from each other according to said small pit-ch of said chains and said small sprocket wheels.

3. A rocket projector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reversible driving means comprise transmission elements imparting equal circulation velocities to said conveyer chains, and other transmission members imparting to the pairs of star wheels such a rotational velocity, that the lateral velocity of the axes of the rockets transported by the pairs of star wheels exceeds the circumferential velocity of said conveyer chains.

4. A rocket projector comprising in combination: rockets, a magazine having in one part a loading aperture and in another part a loading chamber, said parts lying one above the other, a conveyor drum lying bythe side of said loading chamber, and a supply device arranged in said magazine and forming for the rockets lying parallel to one another a transport connection between said loading aperture and said conveyer drum, said supply device having zig-zag-shaped curved guides, said conveyor drum feeding in operation said rockets for being fired to said loading chamber, said supply device having further a iirst and a second endless rocket conveyer chain arranged in the same direction and lying each partly along a loop of said guides, said first chain having an upper and a lower layer and lying on top of said second chain, dogs mounted on and projecting from said chains in operation engaging said rockets, sprocket wheels turning round ea-ch of said conveyer chains, a first pair of star wheels arranged in said magazine by the side of said loading aperture parallel to and between the adjacent sprocket Wheels of said iirst and second conveyer chains and transferring in operation the rockets from said first conveyer chain to said second conveyer chain, a second pair of star wheels arranged in said magazine opposite said loading aperture parallel and adjacent in said direction to one or" said sprocket wheels of magazine opposite said loading aperture parallel and adsaid iirst conveyer chain and transferring in operation the rockets from said upper layer to said lower layer of said first conveyer chain, and reversible driving means conneet-ing said pairs of star wheels with said conveyor chains ,and with said conveyer drum.

5. A rocket projector as claimed in claim 4 wherein said conveyer chains have a small pitch and according to said small pitch a srna l one of said sprocket wheels and chain links, several of said links havin-g one of said dogs each for the conveying of the rockets, any two of said several links forming pairs of links with first and second ones of said dogs having outer ends for engaging said rockets from opposite sides practically without play and to guide the same along said guides, which have a small distance from each other according to said small pitch of said chains and said small sprocket Wheels.

o. A rocket projector as claimed in claim 5 wherein said guides have parallel inner parts and said pairs of the star wheels have circular recesses arranged at equal angular distances trom one another, the radii of which corresponding to those of the cylindrical parts of said rockets to transport the same practically without play, the innermost points ot said recesses lying on a pitch line around the axis of rotation of said star Wheels, the diameter of said pitch line being equal to the distance of said inner parts of said guides.

7. A rocket projector as claimed in claim 6 wherein said reversible driving means comprise transmission elements imparting equal circulation velocities to said conveyer chains, and other transmission members imparting to the pairs of star wheels such a rotational velocity, that the lateral velocity of the axes of the rockets transported by the pairs of star wheels exceeds the circumferential velocity of said conveyor chains.

3. A rocket projector as claimed in claim 4 wherein said guides have parallel inner parts and said pairs of the star Wheels have circular recesses arranged at equal angular distances from one another, the radii of which corresponding to those of the cylindrical parts or" said rockets -to transport the same practically without play, the innermost points of said recesses lying on a pitch line around the axis of rotation of said star wheels, the diameter of said pitch line being equal to the distance of said inner parts of said guides.

9. A rocket projector as claimed in claim 8 wherein said reversible driving means comprise transmission elements imparting equal circulation velocities to said conveyer chains, and other transmission members imparting to the pairs ot star wheels such a rotational velocity, that the lateral velocity of the axes of the rockets transported by the pairs 0f star wheels exceeds the circumferential velocity of said conveyor chains.

lo. A rocket projector as claimed in claim d wherein said reversible driving means comprise transmission elements impartiti'y equal circulation velocities to said conveyor chains, and other transmission members imparting to the pairs of star Wheels such a rotational velocity, that the lateral velocity of the axes of the rockets transported by the pairs of star wheels exceeds the circumferential velocity of said conveyer chains.

lli. A rocket projector comprising in combination: rockets, a magazin-e having in one part a loading aperture and in another part a loadinfY chamber, said parts lying one above the other, a conveyer drum lying by the side of said loading chamber, and a supply device arranged in said magazine and forming for the rockets lying parallel to one another a transport connection between said loading aperture and said conveyer drum, said supply device having zigzag-shaped curved guides, said conveyer drum feeding in operation .said rockets for being iired to said loading chamber, said supply device having further a irst and a second endless rocket conveyer chain arranged in the same direction and lying each part-ly along a loop of said guides, said first chain having an upper and a lower layer and lying on top of said second chain, dogs mounted on and projecting from said chains in operation engaging said rockets, sprocket wheels turnin y round each ot said conveyer chains, a iirst pair of star wheels arranged in said magazine by the side of said loading aperture parallel to and between the adjacent sprocket wheels of said first and second conveyer chains and transferring in operation the rockets from said iirst conveyer chain to said second conveyer chain, and reversible driving means connecting said pair of star wheels with said conveyer chains and with said conveyor drum.

l2. A rocket projector as claimed in claim il wherein said conveyor chains have a small pitch and according to said Vsmall pitch a small one or" said sprocket wheels and chain links, several of said links having one of said dogs each for the conveying of the rockets, any two of said several links forming-pairs of links with iirst and second ones of said dogs having outer ends for engaging said rockets from opposite sides practically Without play and lto guide the same along said guides, which have a small distance from each other according to said small pitch of said chains and said small sprocket wheels.

13. A rocket projector as claimed in claim ,l2 wherein said guides have parallel inner parts and said pair of th star Wheels have circular recesses arranged at equal angular distances from one another, vthe radii of which corresponding to those of the cylindrical parts of said rockets to transport the same practically without play, the innermost points of said recesses lying on a pitch line around the axis of rotation of said star Wheels, the'diaineter of said pitch line being equal to the distance of said inner parts of said guides.

M. A rocket projector as claimed in claim 1l wherein said guides have parallel inner parts and said pairs of the star wheels have circular recesses arranged at equal angular distances from one another, the radii of which corresponding `to those of the cylindrical parts of said rockets to transport the same practically without play, the innermost points of said recesses lying on a pitch line around the axis of rotation of said star wheels, the diameter ol said pitch line being equal to the distance of said inner parts of said guides. t

15. A rocket projector as claimed in claim ltd wherein said reversible driving means comprise transmission elements imparting equal circulation velocities to said conveyer chains, and other transmission members imparting to the pair o star wheels such a rotational velocity, that the lateral velocity of the axes of the rockets transported by the pair of star wheels exceeds the circumferential velocity of said conveyer chains. v

16.. A rocket projectoras claimed in claim 1l wherein said reversible driving means comprise transmission ele? ments imparting equal circulation velocities toc'said conveyer chains, and Vother transmission members imparting tothe pair yof star Wheels such a' rotational velocity, that the lateralvelocity of the axes of the rocketsv transported by thef'pair of star Wheels exceeds the circumferential velocity of said conveyerrcliain's.

References Cited by the Examiner UNiTED STATES VPJEhVFS BENJAMIN A. BoaeHnLr, Prinm'fyY Examinar. SAMUEL W. ENGLE, Examiner. 

1. A ROCKET PROJECTOR COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: ROCKETS, A MAGAZINE HAVING IN ONE PART A LOADING APERTURE AND IN ANOTHER PART A LOADING CHAMBER, SAID PARTS LYING ONE ABOVE THE OTHER, A CONVEYOR DRUM LYING BY THE SIDE OF SAID LOADING CHAMBER, A SUPPLY DEVICE ARRANGED IN SAID MAGAZINE AND FORMING FOR THE ROCKETS LYING PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER A TRANSPORT CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID LOADING APERTURE AND SAID CONVEYOR DRUM, SAID SUPPLY DEVICE HAVING ZIG-ZAG-SHAPED CURVED GUIDES, SAID CONVEYOR DRUM FEEDING IN OPERATION SAID ROCKET FOR BEING FIRED TO SAID LOADING CHAMBER, SAID SUPPLY DEVICE HAVING FURTHER A FIRST AND A SECOND ENDLESS ROCKET CONVEYOR CHAIN ARRANGED IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND LYING EACH PARTLY ALONG A LOOP OF SAID GUIDES, SAID FIRST CHAIN HAVING AN UPPER AND A LOWER LAYER AND LYING ON TOP OF SAID SECOND CHAIN, DOGS MOUNTED ON SAID PROJECTING FROM SAID CHAINS IN OPERATION ENGAGING SAID ROCKETS, SPROCKET WHEEL TURNING ROUND EACH OF SAID CONVEYER CHAINS, A FIRST PAIR OF SAID WHEELS ARRANGED IN SAID MAGAZINE BY THE SIDE OF SAID LOADING APERTURE PARALLEL TO 